Hull City vs Ipswich Town: Betting Odds & Prediction
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Hull City and Ipswich Town face-off at the MKM Stadium on Saturday evening with both targeting a potential return to the Premier League next season.
The home side further boosted their chances of securing a place among the play-offs with a vital win at Coventry City on Wednesday. Ipswich, meanwhile, can climb to second in the Championship with a win in Yorkshire this weekend.
Kick-off is set for 8pm UK time.
Recent Form
Hull City
Liam Rosenior's side knew a loss at Coventry would have spelled an end to any play-off ambitions, but Noah Ohio's strike 12 minutes from time secured three vital points as the Tigers continue to hunt down sixth-placed Norwich City. Hull sit three points behind Norwich, who occupy the final play-off place, but admittedly boast a significantly better goal difference than Rosenior's men heading into the weekend.
Hull have struggled for consistency on home turf this season, averaging 1.45 points across 22 outings at the MKM (W8, D8, L6) so far. Goals haven't been a problem, with an average of 1.45 scored and Hull failing to score in only four home outings.
Their defence has also averaged a respectable 1.09 conceded in front of their home fans, a better return than the 1.45 on the road, but five clean sheets home and away may have left their attack with too much to do in their race for the play-offs.
Ipswich Town
Like fellow title-chasers Leicester City and Leeds United, Ipswich have been hampered by inconsistency as the season's end draws closer. Kieran McKenna's side are now winless in their last three, a run which began with a 1-0 loss at bitter rivals Norwich before drawing at home to Watford and Middlesbrough. A win will still see them return to automatic promotion spots, but the away side would be sitting more comfortably had they been able to take advantage of mishaps by their promotional rivals.
Ipswich fans will be hopeful of a return to winning ways this weekend, with McKenna's men boasting the second-best away record in the Championship behind leaders Leicester. Two of their last five away outings have ended in defeat though (to Norwich and Blackburn), with Ipswich failing to score a goal in both.
Goals have also been much harder to come by in away fixtures; an average of 2.59 scored at home compares to just 1.33 at home, though Ipswich have scored at least once in 18 of their 22 outings.
Despite a weaker attacking output, Ipswich have fared better away from home in defensive columns. They've conceded an average of only one goal per game, yet have kept clean sheets in only five of matches on the road.
Prediction
Hull still have an outside chance of finishing in the play-off places but defeat this weekend will spell an end to these ambitions once and for all. Ipswich have stuttered of late, but know any more slip-ups will cost them a spot in the automatic promotion places with rivals Leicester and Leeds picking up vital wins at the weekend.
OddsNow back the away side to return to winning ways at the MKM Stadium.